F1 Saudi Arabia

2023 - 3 - 19

Post cover — Image courtesy of "The Athletic"

F1 Saudi Arabia GP live updates: Perez and Alonso on front row for ... (The Athletic)

Max Verstappen will start today's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 15th after a power failure during qualifying, presenting his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez ...

But if he manages to pull off that feat on this track, it will surely go down as one of the finest victories of his already storied career. Although surely it’s too early into the season for team orders, isn’t it?! The only ways Max can win are (1) Checo has a mechanical problem, (2) there is a well timed safety car or red flag, or (3) team orders. Lewis Hamilton remained quite honest about his struggles with the Mercedes car in Jeddah after struggling to eighth in Q3. We need to focus on ourselves and find some more performance.” AlphaTauri’s Nyck de Vries explained on Thursday that he’d left his watch on European time until his second day in Jeddah, helping him make the adjustment. While this is a more extreme challenge in Singapore, typically going to bed around 6 a.m. He said that Verstappen’s driveshaft failure yesterday was “unexpected”, and prompted the team to quickly investigate what happened on the car and try to put in some short-term reliability fixes for the race. I don't know which race it was that he started last, so he changed the power unit and still finished P2 or even won the race. Verstappen also has a new gearbox hydraulic system, as well as new rear suspension parts including the driveshaft. But the tension is only going up. I’ve been out for a pre-race wander in the paddock before heading to the grid.

F1 race results: Sergio Perez wins 2023 Saudi Arabian GP (Motorsport.com, Edition: Global)

Sergio Perez won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, leading home a Red Bull 1-2 ahead of a charging Max Verstappen. Charles Bradley.

[PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-mercedes-is-fronting-up-to-its-f1-mistakes-too-much/10443160/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-a-mercedes-u-turn-couldnt-deny-saubers-f1-debut-surprise/10443406/) [PrimePrimeFormula 1 ](/f1/news/testing-times-for-vasseur-but-the-true-challenge-at-ferrari-is-about-to-come/10444080/) Hamilton used his fresh mediums to outdrag Sainz from the exit of Turn 1 to pick up fifth. Verstappen breezed past Russell into the final corner, so had just Alonso between him and Perez, who was 5s up the road. Leclerc pitted on Lap 17, allowing Verstappen free passage to fourth, and rejoined ahead of Stroll too, who’d struggled to get back up to speed. [Lewis Hamilton](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/lewis-hamilton/1278/), the only driver in the top 10 to start on hard tyres, dropped to seventh in his Mercedes. Sainz pitted two laps later, also taking hards but overcutting Stroll. Verstappen gained two spots on the opening lap, aided by [Oscar Piastri](https://www.motorsport.com/driver/oscar-piastri/828689/) needing a new front wing on his [McLaren](https://www.motorsport.com/team/mclaren/10/) after a first corner clash with an [Alpine](https://www.motorsport.com/team/alpine/24858/). Verstappen jumped to sixth as he DRS-ed past Ocon and Stroll pitted on Lap 14. Leclerc and Verstappen were up to seventh and ninth respectively by Lap 10. He quickly picked off those in front to sit behind Perez by half distance.

2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix report and highlights: Perez fends ... (Formula 1 RSS UK)

Sergio Perez converted pole position into victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as team mate Max Verstappen recovered from P15 to make it successive ...

Alonso took the lead into Turn 1 but a subsequent time penalty for lining up outside his grid box, coupled with the relentless pace of the Red Bulls, meant he had to settle for third place. “The team did a fantastic job. Mercedes and Ferrari had no answers for Red Bull’s pace as they distantly followed in two-by-two formation, Russell getting the better of team mate Lewis Hamilton, and Carlos Sainz leading Charles Leclerc home. we really did a job in the first stint, but that Safety Car again tried to take the victory from us in Jeddah – but not this time! I don’t know what to do.” Sergio Perez converted pole position into victory at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix as team mate Max Verstappen recovered from P15 to make it successive one-two finishes for Red Bull. That Safety Car… In the meantime, Perez found another level of pace to respond to Verstappen’s charge and stabilise the lead gap at just over five seconds, with a similar margin back to Alonso in third, followed by the Mercedes cars, the Ferraris and the Alpines. Ferrari duo Sainz and Leclerc sandwiched the Mercedes of Hamilton, as Tsunoda – another to benefit from the timing of the Safety Car – Ocon and Gasly rounded out the points-paying positions. That strategic move paid off for Ferrari when Sainz pitted on Lap 16, and Leclerc a lap later, with both drivers getting the jump on Stroll as they rejoined the action – the Canadian’s evening then ending dramatically when he was told to stop his car on track. When the grid formed up and the lights went out – with most drivers opting for medium tyres – Alonso sent the crowd wild as he bolted off the line to snatch the lead from Perez into Turn 1, with Russell slotting into P3 ahead of Stroll and Sainz. Perez overcame an attack from Alonso at the start, a nervy Safety Car period and Verstappen’s charge from the midfield to make up for the potential win he lost at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit a year ago – kick-starting his championship hopes in the process.

F1 Saudi Arabian GP: Perez cruises to Red Bull 1-2 as penalty ... (autosport.com)

Sergio Perez cruised to victory in Formula 1's Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, having to pass a fast-starting Fernando Alonso and hold off Max Verstappen's charge for ...

[PlusPlusFormula 1Bahrain GP ](/f1/news/why-aston-martins-surge-has-left-its-rivals-feeling-conflicted/10441483/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/why-mercedes-is-fronting-up-to-its-f1-mistakes-too-much/10443144/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/how-a-dynamic-design-tool-has-grown-in-f1-importance/10441847/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/how-the-f1-driver-expression-saga-continues-to-have-a-lineker-like-problem/10443530/) [PlusPlusFormula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/testing-times-for-vasseur-but-the-true-challenge-at-ferrari-is-about-to-come/10443879/) [PlusPlusFormula 1 ](/f1/news/why-a-mercedes-u-turn-couldnt-deny-saubers-f1-debut-surprise/10443178/) [Charles Leclerc](https://www.autosport.com/driver/charles-leclerc/840485/), who battled through the order after a 10-place penalty left him starting 12th, and the Monegasque was able to make it up to seventh place. [F1 Formula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/alonso-something-really-wrong-with-fia-system-for-late-f1-saudi-gp-penalty/10446135/) [F1 Formula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/perez-explains-pushing-for-nothing-saudi-f1-radio-call/10446150/) [F1 Formula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/russell-alonsos-penalties-in-saudi-arabian-gp-too-extreme/10446165/) [F1 Formula 1Saudi Arabian GP ](/f1/news/saudi-f1-struggles-show-ferrari-not-second-best-says-sainz/10446178/) Although largely matching each other for time, Verstappen was able to continually chip away at Perez's lead.

Sergio Perez wins F1 Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, Max Verstappen ... (ABC News)

Red Bull continues their early dominance of the Formula 1 season, as Sergio Perez takes victory in Saudi Arabia ahead of his charging teammate.

But Piastri was was able to show his skill in the final laps, overtaking Norris and the Williams of Logan Sergant. Piastri was forced to pit at the end of the first lap, sending him to the back of the grid. The faster tyres were enough for Norris to pass the Australian in a bid to climb up the grid and pass those on the hard tyres, which never materialised. Alonso was given a 10-second penalty moments after he was presented the trophy for third place, dropping him to fourth. Fernando Alonso was third across the line in what was another terrific drive from the Spaniard, but he was given a 10-second penalty after the trophy presentation, only for it to be later overturned. - Sergio Perez secured the fifth victory of his F1 career at the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

F1 Saudi Arabian GP Results: Red Bull Dominates Again (Autoweek)

Red Bull Racing maintained its impressive start to the 2023 Formula 1 season in Saudi Arabia – though this time it was Sergio Perez who led home World ...

“We were able to have a good race, get a good start, manage the tires well – especially on the hard compound when I was on older tires than Tsunoda and actually had less degradation. That we have a weakness in the race, that we need to wait for developments to come to see if we can improve that weakness.” “It was a bit worse in the race than we were hoping for, we struggled in the dirty air too much. I was then able to get past him at the end, and we managed to get a point.” McLaren suffered another dismal race in Saudi Arabia – from a race that had initial promise on one side of the garage. It later emerged that both Race Control and the FIA’s Remote Operations Centre had initially given Alonso the all-clear but was then prodded on the last lap – likely by a rival team that would benefit – to take another look at the situation. “The last stint on the Hard [tires] proves that we are not where we want to be,” said Sainz. But it is a little bit sad for the FIA yes.” “So I thought that communication was the same to Max. But shortly after third-placed Alonso celebrated the 100th podium of his career he was hit with a 10-second time drop due to the original penalty being incorrectly served. Red Bull’s pace advantage around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit was such that he was able to breeze past Fernando Alonso – having lost out on the opening lap – and from there he opened and preserved a buffer to his closest challengers. Verstappen holds a slender one-point buffer over Perez in the championship on account of setting the race’s fastest lap.

What F1's Saudi Arabian GP taught us about 2023: 7 takeaways (The Athletic)

Red Bull's not bulletproof, Ferrari's in trouble, Mercedes is moving in the right direction and more learnings from Jeddah.

At one point I did the calculations; I wouldn’t have been able to close that gap to the end with only 10 laps left, so at one point it’s, I think, more important to just settle for second, not having an issue with the car.” While Mercedes is still a “long way off” Red Bull, to quote Hamilton, it at least seems to be in the mix with Aston Martin and Ferrari for now. That left Norris with car damage that meant he, too, had to pit early, setting them up for runs to 15th and 17th at the flag. An encouraging sign was that he found the car to be “much more controllable and more predictable” over the race distance. And there was a brief moment of panic for Red Bull fans as both drivers reported different possible issues during the last 10 laps or so Sunday. Ferrari may have been in the spotlight for reliability issues, but the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix showed Red Bull’s vulnerabilities. His teammate, Lance Stroll, would likely have been in the mix for the top five, but a power unit issue forced him to retire early on. Alonso may not have been able to stay in touch with Pérez after losing the lead on Lap 4, but frankly, he didn’t stand a chance, so dominant is Red Bull. The debate centered on the apparently unclear definition of “working on the car.” For Verstappen, it was the driveshaft again while Pérez radioed he was having a “bit of a long brake pedal.” Pérez was set to become the championship standings leader between his win and the fastest lap, until Verstappen recorded the fastest time on the last lap. The pair had been told to aim for a target 1:33.0 lap time, but Verstappen was racing in the 1:32.00 range and did not respond when asked for confirmation over the radio.